Pounding rains continued to hamper fieldwork and spark local flooding across portions of the Plains, Midwest and South, although overall growing conditions remained mostly favorable for summer crops. Weekly rainfall amounts in excess of 4 inches were scattered across all three regions, boosting month-to-date totals to 10 inches or more in several locations.

Across the nation’s mid-section, rain slowed or halted the winter wheat harvest, which had been progressing across the central Plains and nearing completion on the southern Plains. However, abundant rainfall remained mostly beneficial for the Plains’ spring-sown crops, including cotton, sorghum and wheat.

Farther north, crop developmental delays remained a concern in parts of the northern Corn Belt, where cool, rainy weather perpetuated pockets of lowland flooding. Across the remainder of the Midwest, showery weather also resulted in local flooding, although warmth and periods of sunshine favored crop growth. Meanwhile, heavy showers also dotted the South. However, excessive amounts were mostly confined to the central Gulf Coast region.

In contrast, showers largely bypassed portions of the southern Mid-Atlantic States. Elsewhere, seasonably dry weather prevailed from California to the southern Rockies, while showers provided beneficial moisture to immature winter wheat and spring-sown small grains across the interior Northwest. Weekly temperatures trended above normal in the eastern and western U.S., with readings averaging as much as 5°F above normal in the eastern Corn Belt.